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Goalkeeper (1) - Her chief job is to keep the
puck out of her goal. Offensively, she starts her team down the
ice with a pass but seldom leaves the net.
Defenseman (2) - Left and right. They try to stop the
incoming play at their blue line. They try to block
shots, cover opposing forwards and clear the puck from
in front of their goal. On offense they get the puck to
their center and wings.
Center (1) - The middle of the ice from end to end is
his primary territory. She leads the attack by carrying
the puck. She exchanges passes with her wings to steer
the play towards the goal. On defense she tries to break
up a play before it gets to her team's ice and harasses
the opponent in the neutral and defending zones.
Wings (2) - Moving up and down the sides of the ice with
the direction of play, the wings work with the center on
the attack. Defensively, they try to disrupt opposing
wings.
The Rink
Official NHL rinks are 200 feet long and 85 feet wide.
Some rinks have slightly different perimeters.
Fiberglass walls, called boards, surround the rink from
the ice to a height of about 40 inches. Attached above
the boards is a nearly unbreakable plexiglass rim to
keep the pucks from flying into the stands. It is higher
behind the goals since the pucks are most often shot
into that area. Dimensions for everything are
illustrated above. The net is six feet wide and
four feet tall. The nets are held on the ice by a
four-inch plastic tubing which is inserted into the ice
and the goalposts rest around the tubing.
The Equipment
The Puck - A vulcanized rubber disk that is three inches
in diameter and one inch thick. The puck is frozen
before play to help eliminate bouncing.
The Stick - The most pampered piece of gear. It weighs
17 to 25 ounces and is made to order for pros. Once
mainly wood, it now comes in fiberglass, plastic or
graphite. The goaltender's stick is larger at the blade
and shaft. Right handers put their right hand at the top
of the stick and shoot from their left side. Lefties
reverse the procedure. The lower hand is positioned
according to the situation. When stickhandling, players
keep their lower hands close to the top of the stick.
When passing, they move it lower increasing the force of
the blow to the puck. Most players go through a few
dozen sticks a year.
The Pants - Made of nylon, the
top reaches high enough to protect the kidneys and lower
back. Fiber pads are sewn in.
The Skates - Hard-toed, sharpened daily. The blades
differ according to position. Each player may use up to
three pairs.
The Goalie's Gear - Overstuffed leg pads, plus a heavy
felt chest protector that covers the shoulders, stomach
and abdomen. The goalie also wears a large glove with a
shield on the back side. Their skates need less
sharpening and also have less room between the blade and
the boot, so pucks can't clip through. Other equipment
includes a helmet, gloves, shoulder pads, shin pads and
elbow pads. |
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